Carls Jr. Haz New Cheezeburgerz

After that, you can go back to KFC's Double Down. Folks, we're headed downhill fast. But, uh, are there any Carl Jrs in Texas?

Jesse Jackson Says Labron James Treated Like Runaway Slave

“His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality,” Jackson said in a statement released Sunday. “[His former team's owner] sees LeBron as a runaway slave.”

And this column by Fox Sports' Jason Whitlock in response to Jackson is getting lots of buzz today.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Jerry Jones was on Entourage last night and was fantastic. Edit: Jerry's scenes are now on youtube.
• That Lebron James hoopla last week might have been the silliest fluff I've ever seen. That guy's popularity had to plummet because of his demonstration of arrogance.
• Being disconnected for a week was refreshing.
• Caught about 1/2 of Pineapple Express last week. Funny. Very funny.
• As much as I tried to get into the World Cup, that final yesterday was boring.
• On the way home Saturday, I sat by a burn victim on the plane. It had to have been a horrifying experience because one of his ears was completely gone. I so wanted to talk to him about what happened and offer him encouragement, but there's just no way to bring the subject up. At least I couldn't think of one.
• Those crazy protesters from Westboro Baptist Church were in Fort Worth yesterday but were met with counter protesters that brought some funny/crazy signs. Example. (Edit: And the second pic on this page is fantastic.)
• iTunes lets you rent a movie but once you start it, you have 24 hours to finish it. That policy failed me on the trip down to Jamaica as I got to see ten minutes of Rear Window and couldn't get back to it in time.
• WBAP's Hal Jay to the sports guys this morning: "You've got to stop calling it the Big 12." Uh, it is currently the Big 12.
• That Oncor power line that may go across the southern end of the county sounds like it'll be incredibly ugly. They put one in along the northwestern part of the county a few years back and a scenic drive along 1810 became not-so-scenic.
• News this morning: "Switzerland will not send Oscar-winning filmmaker Roman Polanski to the United States to face child sex charges, the Ministry of Justice announced Monday." And they have released him from custody.
• I mentioned the Master Cleanse last week and now Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher are doing it. Coincidence?

I Need A Vacation After Vacation

• Can a man walk 100 yards in Jamaica without being offered weed? Sheesh. I would go on a rant that they need to make it illegal there but it is illegal.
• After Mrs. LL and I tried to relax on the beach, and after being interrupted every five minutes with people trying to sell us crap, she fired off a very loud, "Are you selling some peace and quiet? Because I'D BUY SOME OF THAT!!!"
• I immediately renewed my two week old vows to her on the spot.
• And I go away for one week and some guy does a swan dive off the second tier of The Ballpark? Could he have at least waited a few days so I could be all over it? (Video as it happened from broadcasts but I don't anyone has a clip of the actual fall. Which might not be a bad thing.)
• And when I left Texas was looking as brown at the desert. When I come back it looks like the Garden of Eden. Did it rain here or sumptin'?
• I learned Mrs. LL can dive. (I mean, absolutely no splash whatsoever.) And I learned she'll jump off of a 40 foot cliff. (See above picture -- the cove to the right -- that's where it happened. Some place called Rick's Cafe.)
• Girl ain't right.
• I like all-inclusive resorts but they might want to trick up their food every now and then.
• I went deep sea fishing for four hours and despite have eight hooks in the water, we got nothing. But I did see dolphins and one whale, so not a bad bit.
• Funniest unsolicited line from a guy on the fishing cruise: "I spent six years as a Dive Master in the Florida Keys. You think it'd be great? I'll tell you: I was sick of the weather. I was sick of the job. I was sick of my wife. I had to get the heck out of there."
• I spend a ton of the time at the pool on vacation. And I always bring along a college football preview edition and read almost all of it.
• Traveling out of the country is a beating. If I told you how many times at the airport I had some security person look at my passport, then at me, and then at the passport, you'd be amazed. And I'm pretty sure the 9/11 terrorists used their real identities, didn't they?
• My favorite line to drop when I'm getting beat down waiting in a security line is, "Thanks, a lot Bin Laden."
• I stubbed my toe on the concrete while walking in sandals and almost bled to death. (Slight exaggeration, but not by much. )
• More later. Still recovering.

Best Of Random Thoughts: Vacation Day 5

• Funny Dallas Morning News page.
• I keep linking to this, but I'm fascinated with the 1993 AT&T "You Will" ads.
• Bridgeport Country Grammar.
• Future Mrs. Green Fail.
• My half marathon post of 2009 where I got absolutely no credit for a very funny Curt-Schilling-Bloody-Sock joke.
• My Pro-Socialism post.
• I'm still stunned about the demographic make up of Texas schools.
• My greatest effort at memory recall ever.
• Bridgeport prank.
• My 10 Days of The Master Cleanse that I will never do again.

I'll be home tomorrow unless I've been killed by a Jamaican drug lord. Or become one.

Best of Random Thoughts: Vacation Day 4

• The Jackie Murphree civil trial wrapped up this year, but I had forgotten how mangled her car was because of the accident.
• Since I'm not around to entertain the world this week, do yourself a favor and read the award winning article called Still Life from Texas Monthly. If you don't cry, you're not human.
• The "Eat In Tax" controversy at the local McDonald's.
• Pics of the only Tea Party rally in Wise County (I think).
• Loved this one: Trooper stuck in median.
• "Gone": Man faints on Glenn Beck show.
• Decatur Walmart gang killing hoax.
• Grandma dancing at Spring Break.
• Bridgeport fallen Officer Randy White's funeral. And my thoughts the day after his death.
• If I chase a man and cut the distance I'm behind him by 1/2 every 10 seconds, will I ever catch him? My struggle with Zeno's Paradoxes.

Best of Random Thoughts: Vacation Day 3

• Ever seen a Wise County rock quarry from the air?
• A pleasant flashback only for Texas Tech football fans.
• Craziest things I keep in my car.
• I had forgotten Frank Kent Cadillac ran this promotion. And now those shares are worthless.
• Wise County conviction that has since been affirmed on appeal.
• The first version of that massive bank bailout bill was shocking.
• Messenger graduation error.
• Our sheriff's wedding.
• Speaking of hurricane season, this "waves pounding the shore" video cracked me up.
• Chico family wiped out. No one indicted.
• Cute Wise County baby.

Best of Random Thoughts: Vacation Day 2

• Matt Damon impersonates Matt McConaughey (still funny).
• Crazy picture I found when I googled "Decatur Texas" images.
• I had forgotten about the James Wood "Shoe Thrower" ad.
• There used to be a guy who would photoshop pictures relevant to The Blog (i.e. this one with the "Decatur Begger"). I wonder what ever happened to him?
• Fox 4's Fiona dancing at her previous job.
• Can't believe this was taken in front of Stevens St. Grill in Bridgeport. (Scan down.)
• Wise County cat with head stuck in a can.
• Back when Jarhead used to hang around, he posted a pic of his house from the air. It's like Venice on the Texas prairie.
• Bridgeport and Decatur kids listed in a 30 year old Dave Campbell's Texas Football.
• Pretty amazing: Over 40,000 gravestone pics from Wise County.

Best Of Random Thoughts: Vacation Day 1

• Still the funniest photoshopped of Tony Romo after he screwed up the field goal snap in the playoff game.
• I had a poll once on the worst thing about the Decatur Walmart.
• When the iPhone was announced, I seemed very technologically challenged.
• When I'm wrong, I'm wrong: I thought the "surge" in Iraq was a bad idea.
• Another poll: Most of you would still marry your spouse.
• A Jessica Alba "Hey, now."
• Anybody remember the Alvord Hot Skillet murder? The suspect would later be found dead.
• Art that hangs in my office.
• I used to post just crazy and bizarre pictures. I should do that more often.
• When Todd Dodge took the North Texas football job, my first bullet point was prophetic.

I'm Off This Week

But, never fear, each day you'll receive an award winning blog post from the "Best Of" series. Ten links every day for five days. I think I'll have Internet access where I'm going, but if you think I'm waking up at the crack of dawn to fire off some Random Thoughts, you be crazy.

America! Yeah!

Prediction Correct: They Maxed Her

From A Criminal Defense Lawyer Message Board: Fair?

Montgomery County Has A Task Force To Round Up DWI Defendants?

Not a whole lot of crime in Montgomery County apparently. (Their DA is a huge showboater.) And what happened to Kevin? Link.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Edit: You guys are right. That pic is a repeat. But I just discovered you are remembering her from February, 2009!
• Had Wimbledon on this morning and heard the name "Ivan Lendl." Hadn't heard that name in 20 years.
• I'm really fascinated by the Austin Dismemberment Trial going on (see below.) She's the girl that won her appeal after getting a 5 year sentence. Prediction: She's about to get the maximum of 10 years.
• Earlier this year, a Johnson County girl committed suicide by driving her car into another vehicle. Well, it's happened again.
• But I still will never understand how the Medical Examiner gets to make a ruling of "suicide." I understand making a finding of death due to "blunt force trauma to the chest" but making a finding about the mindset of the deceased seems outside of their scope of expertise. They are doctors, not wizards.
• Britney?
• I caught the last five minutes of Mike Snyder's last show on Channel 5 last night. It was pretty touching (but they had him alone on the set by then -- didn't get to see Jane's earlier reaction.)
• That well is still spewing oil into the Gulf and now we've grown bored with it so it's no longer on the news? The word "disaster" is thrown around too easily, but we've got one going on.
• The Today Show this morning says that Sarah Palin is most likely making $12 million this year.
• I'm on vacation next week, but I've been working on some automated "Best Of" posts. That's harder than doing this every morning.
• This week, the last person incarcerated by the Tulia Drug Task Force Scandal had his conviction overturned. As naive as I was during my term in the DA's office, realizing that any and all multi-agency Task Forces were bad news might have been my most enlightened moment. Never trusted them.
• There will be a Hurricane Fiona this year. Complete list of names here.
• Edit: The Psychedelic Furs were at The Granada last night. That, I'd like to see.

Why . . .

. . . show the U. of Georgia athletic director do a Public Service Announcement not to drink and drive? Because he got arrested last night for DWI. Ouch. Edit: And in other DWI news, a former Texas Longhorn quarterback was arrested this morning for "driving while stoned." ("He must have tried to pass the blunt but got intercepted" - Stolen Joke.)

Wow

Remember that Austin girl I mentioned yesterday who is being retried on punishment for Tampering and Hindering Apprehension after her boyfriend killed a girl? Well, the prosecution has recordings of her telephone calls that she made while in jail awaiting trial. This girl is mean and crazy. A reporter is live tweeting them here (they'll be in reverse chronological order). Language warning.

Thursday Morning Pick Me Up: Jane McGarry?

"I love you, Jane." (@ 1:54 mark)

Edit: Why is everyone dogging me about this audio clip being "a year old". Uh, I know that! It's been a Ticket staple all that time. I just linked to it because lots of people commenting have signed off "I love you, Jane" and I thought some people might want to know where it comes from.